Scopus and Web of Science are two different commercial databases, owned by Elsevier and Clarivate, that decide which journals they index, and SCI, SCIE, SSCI and ESCI are not separate databases at all: they are parts of Web of Science. Almost every PhD scholar in India hears the phrase “SCI or Scopus paper” in the first year, usually from someone who cannot say exactly what it means.
This guide explains what each name refers to, how the two databases differ, what your university or funder most likely means when it writes “SCI” in a rule, and how to check a journal against each list yourself in a few minutes. It does not rank one database above the other. Both are used by serious researchers; the question is which one your rule names.
Database coverage and product names change, so check the official Scopus and Clarivate pages before relying on any detail here. Last reviewed September 2026.
Scopus vs Web of Science: the short answer
- Scopus is Elsevier’s database. It is larger and indexes more journals from India and Asia.
- Web of Science is Clarivate’s platform. Its Core Collection is split into indexes, of which SCIE (sciences) and SSCI (social sciences) are the ones most rules have in mind.
- “SCI” in an Indian rule almost always means SCIE today. The old print-era Science Citation Index was folded into SCIE, so a journal list will show “SCIE”, not “SCI”.
- ESCI is part of Web of Science but is not SCIE. Many rules that say “SCI” do not accept ESCI journals.
- Many journals are in both Scopus and SCIE. Many are in Scopus only. Fewer are in SCIE but not in Scopus.
If your rule says “Scopus or Web of Science”, you have the widest choice. If it says “SCI/SCIE”, you have the narrowest. Knowing which one applies before you choose a journal saves months.
Scopus and Web of Science side by side
| Scopus | Web of Science Core Collection | |
|---|---|---|
| Owned by | Elsevier | Clarivate |
| What it is | One abstract and citation database covering journals, book series, conference proceedings and trade journals | A group of separate indexes: SCIE, SSCI, AHCI and ESCI for journals, plus conference proceedings and book citation indexes |
| Size | Larger. Covers more journals, and more journals from India and other non-Western countries | Smaller and more selective, especially in the SCIE and SSCI editions |
| Journal metric | CiteScore, and SJR and SNIP (with quartiles on SCImago) | Journal Impact Factor, published once a year in Journal Citation Reports |
| How journals get in | Application reviewed by the independent Content Selection and Advisory Board | Evaluation by Clarivate’s in-house editors against published quality and impact criteria |
| Free way to check a journal | Scopus Sources page (free, no subscription needed) | Master Journal List (free, with a free account for full details) |
| Removes journals? | Yes. Titles are re-evaluated and some are discontinued | Yes. Titles can be put on hold or removed from coverage |
Why the size difference matters to you
Because Scopus is larger, more journals in your field will usually qualify under a “Scopus” rule. That also means the quality range inside Scopus is wider. A Scopus journal can be excellent or weak, and several journals that Indian scholars used heavily have been discontinued by Scopus after re-evaluation. Our Scopus guide explains how discontinuation works and what it means for a paper already published.
Web of Science is not immune either. Clarivate has removed journals from coverage, including titles from large, well-known publishers, when their editorial practices fell below its standards. Being in either database is a starting point for trusting a journal, not the end of the check.
The metrics are not interchangeable
The Journal Impact Factor comes only from Web of Science data. CiteScore comes only from Scopus. SJR quartiles, shown on the SCImago site, are also built on Scopus data. So when someone says “Q1 journal”, ask “Q1 in what?”, because a journal can be Q1 on SCImago and Q2 in Journal Citation Reports. Our metrics guide goes through each number.
SCI, SCIE, SSCI, AHCI and ESCI explained
Web of Science is the platform. The Core Collection is the curated part of it. Inside the Core Collection, journals sit in one of four indexes:
| Index | Full name | Covers | Has an Impact Factor? |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCIE | Science Citation Index Expanded | Natural sciences, engineering, medicine | Yes |
| SSCI | Social Sciences Citation Index | Social sciences, management, economics, education | Yes |
| AHCI | Arts & Humanities Citation Index | Arts, literature, history, philosophy | Yes, since the 2023 JCR release |
| ESCI | Emerging Sources Citation Index | Journals in all fields that meet Clarivate’s quality criteria but not yet its impact criteria | Yes, since the 2023 JCR release |
What happened to “SCI”
For decades the Science Citation Index existed as a smaller, print-based selection, and SCIE (the “Expanded” version) was the larger online one. Clarivate no longer lists SCI as a separate edition on the Master Journal List; journals appear there as SCIE. Older ordinances and older senior scholars still say “SCI”. In practice the thesis section will check whether the journal is in SCIE.
ESCI and SCIE: a key distinction
ESCI journals are in Web of Science, and since Clarivate extended the Impact Factor to all Core Collection journals in 2023, they have an Impact Factor too. This can cause confusion. A journal may truthfully advertise “Web of Science indexed, Impact Factor 1.2” and still not be SCIE. If your rule says SCI or SCIE, an ESCI journal does not meet it. If your rule says “Web of Science”, it may, but ask your research cell in writing before you rely on that.
Where SSCI and AHCI fit
Scholars in commerce, management, economics, education, psychology and law should look at SSCI, not SCIE. A rule written by a science faculty that says “SCI” is sometimes applied to social science scholars without anyone thinking about it. If you are in a social science department, ask whether SSCI is accepted. It nearly always is, but the question should be settled in writing before you submit.
Which one your university or funder actually means
Indian rules name databases in a handful of ways. Here is how each is usually read, but the wording in your own ordinance is what the thesis section applies.
- “SCI / SCIE journal”: a journal in the SCIE edition of Web of Science. ESCI does not count. Scopus-only journals do not count.
- “SCI / Scopus” or “Scopus / Web of Science”: either database. This is the most common wording in recent PhD ordinances and in faculty recruitment rules.
- “Journal with impact factor”: nearly always means a Clarivate Journal Impact Factor. Other “impact factors” sold by commercial websites do not count. Because ESCI journals now have an Impact Factor, check whether your rule also names SCIE.
- “UGC-CARE listed”: an older wording. UGC has discontinued the CARE list, and many universities are rewriting their rules. Our UGC-CARE guide explains the current position.
- “Peer-reviewed / refereed journal”: no database is named, and your department decides. Ask what evidence they want.
The UGC’s 2022 PhD regulations do not themselves require a paper in any database before thesis submission. The requirement, where it exists, comes from your university’s ordinance or your department. That is why two scholars in two universities can get different answers to the same question.
Funders and recruitment
Fellowship schemes, project calls and faculty recruitment notices often have their own wording, and it may differ from your PhD rule. National rankings such as NIRF draw on both Scopus and Web of Science data, which is one reason institutions ask faculty and scholars to publish in journals indexed in them. Read each notice separately and do not assume one rule covers the other.
How to check a journal against each list
Both checks are free and take about five minutes. Doing them yourself gives a first-hand result; a logo or screenshot on a website does not by itself confirm indexing. For the Web of Science side in more detail, see our step-by-step SCIE check.
- Get the exact wording of your rule. Read your university’s PhD ordinance, the funder’s call or the recruitment notice. Copy the phrase word for word: “SCI”, “SCI/SCIE”, “Web of Science”, “Scopus or Web of Science”, “indexed in Scopus/WoS with impact factor”.
- Find the journal by ISSN, not by name. Clone journals copy names. The ISSN printed on the real journal’s site, checked on the ISSN portal, is safer.
- Scopus: search the ISSN on the free Scopus Sources page. Check that coverage runs to the current year, and look at Elsevier’s discontinued titles list.
- Web of Science: search the ISSN on the Master Journal List and read which collection it lists: SCIE, SSCI, AHCI or ESCI.
- Match the result to the rule. If the rule says “SCIE” and the journal is in ESCI, it does not meet the rule, even though both are Web of Science.
- Save proof. Take a dated screenshot of each result. Coverage changes, and you may need to show what the database said when you submitted.
Common things that go wrong
A journal’s Scopus coverage can end in a particular year while the Sources page still shows the title, so read the coverage years, not just the name. A publisher can have some journals in SCIE and others in ESCI or in neither, so check the specific title. And a hijacked site may display the real journal’s ISSN. If the website address on the Master Journal List or Scopus record differs from the one you were given, trust the database. Our predatory journal guide covers clone and hijacked journals in detail.
Should you aim for Scopus or Web of Science?
Start from the rule, then from the paper.
If your rule says SCIE, you need an SCIE journal and nothing else will do. Build your shortlist from the Master Journal List, filtered by your subject category, and expect review to be at least as demanding as in a good Scopus journal.
If your rule accepts either, choose the journal that best fits your paper, not the database. A well-matched Scopus journal that reviews and publishes your paper properly is worth more to your thesis than a poorly matched SCIE journal that rejects it after four months. Most good journals in engineering and the sciences are in both databases anyway.
Most scholars don’t need to think about the database once the rule is clear. The harder questions are scope fit, review time and cost, which our guide on how to choose a journal works through step by step.
Sources
FAQ
Questions scholars ask
Is SCI better than Scopus?
SCIE is smaller and more selective, so on average its journals are harder to get into. But “better” depends on the journal, not the database, and many journals are in both. What matters for your PhD is which one your rule names.
The journal says “indexed in Web of Science”. Does that mean SCI?
Not necessarily. It may be in ESCI, or the claim may be false. Search the ISSN on the Master Journal List and read which collection it shows.
Is Google Scholar indexing the same as Scopus indexing?
No. Google Scholar indexes almost anything that looks academic, and a journal cannot be “selected” for it. It does not count as indexing under any Indian PhD rule we know of.
Is there a charge for checking a journal’s Scopus or Web of Science status?
No. The Scopus Sources page and Clarivate’s Master Journal List are both free. Full Master Journal List details need a free account.
My paper was published when the journal was in Scopus, but Scopus later discontinued it. Does my paper still count?
Scopus usually keeps content indexed before the discontinuation date. Whether your university still counts the paper is its decision, so ask your research cell and keep dated proof of the journal’s status when you published.
Are conference papers in Scopus accepted for PhD requirements?
Some universities accept Scopus-indexed conference proceedings; many require journal articles only. Check the exact wording of your ordinance before choosing a conference for this purpose.
